The Way of the Sparrow

This week in the garden

richard — Sat, 12 May 2012 21:43:32 +0000

May is always a time of the year when going to work is a sad necessity but an awful impediment to getting things done. So much to do in the garden and so many birds to chase after as well. Tomorrow will be an early morning start and hopefully a lot of excellent birds over at Cooper Marsh but meanwhile the garden has been burgeoning … as you can see (click on the thumbnails for larger versions):

Spring flowers in the arboretum

richard — Sun, 06 May 2012 19:23:50 +0000

A gentle pre-luncheon stroll in the arboretum today produced some excellent opportunities for flower photography as well as some nice birds – should have been more, but the orienteers were crashing about.

Pileated Woodpecker, Blue-headed Vireo, Chipping Sparrow, White-breasted Nuthatch, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Black-throated Green Warbler, Great Blue Heron, Song Sparrow, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Downy Woodpecker, Swainson’s Thrush, Cliff Swallow, American Robin, Tree Swallow, Canada Goose

Flowers in the garden – 5 May 2012

richard — Sat, 05 May 2012 22:55:08 +0000

After a damp few days the sun emerged and the grass was cut (“death to dandelions”). In flower today we have the plants in the gallery amongst others … the gardening season has begun.

As usual – click on a thumbnail to see a larger image

Late April in the garden

richard — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 20:17:48 +0000

A bright and a sunny day with warm sunshine but a very cold northerly wind restricted gardening activity – other than the ritual first murdering of the dreaded dandelions. Assorted tulips, Marsh Marigold and the first of the white Trilliums.

Indoor another of the tiny, discrete orchids was blooming. Pleurothallis casapensis no less.

Orchid - Pleurothallis casapensis

Some flowers in bloom today – click on the thumbnails for larger images:

Herons and Magnolias

richard — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:42:37 +0000

The Magnolia stellata and Magnolia grandiflora are putting on good shows this year (such a shame there was actually snow mixed with last night’s heavy rain).

Mid-morning today a Great Blue Heron decided to visit us – he stood on the arch for several minutes looking at the pond before deciding that as it contains no fish he had better fly off up the road to our friend’s garden where there are lots of fish. An uncommon visitor.

Other (unphotographed) birds in the garden today included Brown Creeper, Ruby-crowned Kinglets in droves, at least one Fox Sparrow seen several times, plus the common guys such as multitudes of Robins, Red-winged Blackbirds, Euro-Starlings, Common Grackles, Chickadees etc. All welcome.

(click on the photos to see enlarged versions)

Magpies

richard — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 07:12:29 +0000

Spending a couple of weeks in England doing social and family stuff but the binoculars and field guides are with us, as always, for those times when time permits … Thus far, however the main birding - if you can call it that – seems to be the sight of Magpies everywhere … Magpies being these chaps : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magpie

For those not up on Eurobirds, the Magpie is a fine, intelligent and smart black and white bird but it seems they are taking over the world. Certainly they have taken over from House Sparrows as the Pre-eminent species that you see around human habitation. Must read up on this … are they ally spree reading in numbers or is it just a result of a diminution in numbers of other species? More on this in future days.

Elsewhere there is much tree blossom and early breaking leaves and general greenery which we won’t see at home before the end of the month. Two bites at the cherry.

Back to Winter?

richard — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 21:17:46 +0000

Well, that was it. All that lovely warm weather and the snow melted and us almost in short sleeves while the spring flowers pop up all over the place … when what happens overnight? this happens overnight and it’s the 28th March, almost April for god’s sake.

Off to England for a couple of weeks tomorrow, where, if the promised petrol tanker strike over there is diverted in time, we will be able to drive about and see some real spring flowers and weather and then we should be able to get back here for a second dose. Let’s hope last night was an aberration.

Adding to the spring flowers

richard — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 21:37:29 +0000

After a week of really abnormally warm, record breaking tempereatures the spring flowers are coming out in droves … just in time to all be over while we are away in England in a week’s time

Today we have Iris reticulata, Puschkinia and the first “basic” Daffodil

Puschkinia

Spring flowers again

richard — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 22:03:06 +0000

This abnormally warm and sunny March weather (not that we are complaining) continues to bring out new flowers every day.

Today we have Hellebores, even more Snowdrops and a good clump of Crocus. the Snowdrops are also attracting bees.

Hellebore

Crocus

Snowdrop with bee 1Snowdrop with bee 2

Snowdrop with bee 2

richard — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 21:14:37 +0000

Plus ten degrees today, which is freakishly hot for this time of year, double that forecast for tomorrow. Crocuses in the garden to add to the snowdrops. There is still a heck of a lot of ice on the river, even a mad ice-fisherman way out in the middle of it come to that, but it will all be gone before too long.

Enjoy the pictures.

The ice starts to thin on the river